The invention relates to an injection moulding apparatus and method, more particularly but not exclusively, for producing a moulded article, such as an electronic display frame for tablets, pc-monitors, phones and other electronic devices.
With products becoming smaller, the moulding industry is presented with new challenges. In particular, moulding techniques need to achieve greater accuracy since with thinner parts, degree of tolerance for variations is much lower. Further, there are also greater demands for moulded products to have a “look and feel” which is aesthetically appealing to consumers.
As a result, it is known to execute in-molding of a plastic film. The plastic film itself (including all ink-layers), may only be 0.050-0.375 mm thick, and this has to be in-molded with thermoplastic material as a support material, while needing to achieve/retain multiple functions and features such as multi-color layers, special ink-systems, bonding layers, special film-material, and hard coats or soft-touch as required on the end-product. With current LED technology on the market, plastic parts may also carry symbols, numbers and characters which are back-lighted or where light is switched on and off during different functions.
Another industrial design feature is illumination of an outside or inside circumference of a plastic part, which needs incorporation of one or more groups of lights and/or optical light waveguides, while keeping the plastic part as thin as possible, such as, for example, when the product is an IR-touch tablet. The reasons why plastic parts should be as thin as possible include the following:
(a) the product is designed and engineered thinner and thinner;
(b) the weight of the product is engineered to be light;
(c) cost pressure leading to cheaper manufacturing techniques; and
(d) the design of the product may need to be more sophisticated through the use of lights and colors for visualizing functions, visualizing safety announcement, visualizing information, visualizing instructions or simply to enhance cosmetic appeal to the consumer and user. However, current moulding techniques are not efficient and moulding accuracy may be improved.
It is an object of the described embodiment to provide an injection moulding apparatus and method which addresses at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art and/or to provide the public with a useful choice.